Stars line up friendly matches in preparation for Africa Cup

National soccer team Harambee Stars is scheduled to play three international friendly matches as they prepare for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Football Kenya Federation Boss Nick Mwendwa confirmed on Sunday that the team coached by Sebastien Migne will play Ivory Coast in their first friendly match in Paris, France.

Kenya qualified for the continental event for the first time in 15 years after Sierra Leone were disqualified from the ongoing Nations cup qualifier matches due to a FIFA ban.

Mwendwa said that they require at least Ksh 200 million in order to prepare the team adequately for the biennial event.

He said the team will camp in France in May next year, few weeks after facing Ghana in their last qualifier match.

Kenya top group F with seven points, one ahead of Ghana while Ethiopia tail the group with one point.

Elsewhere, the Confederations of African Football (CAF) wants South Africa to step in as hosts of the 2019 African Nations Cup at short notice.

CAF stripped Cameroun of the hosting rights at the Weekend and the Continental governing body is seemingly now eyeing South Africa as a replacement.

South African Football Association (SAFA) boss Danny Jordaan told the federations AGM in Sandton on Saturday that the Continental football governing has asked South Africa to seriously consider taking over as hosts.

The SAFA President returned home on Saturday morning after attending CAF’s Extraordinary Executive Committee meeting in Accra, Ghana, where the decision to dump Cameroun was taken.

SAFA will meet the South African government first before making a decision on whether to accede to the request.